Who doesn’t love a time saving feature, be that in our DAW or plugin? But we need to take care to ensure the time saving doesn’t ruin our reputation.

Audio software seems to be developing at a dizzying pace, not just in the areas of AI and ML. Progress in computer speeds, internet connections, and storage costs, mean we can now do things we only dreamed of just a few years ago.

However, sometimes the pace of the work can trip us up and rather than the tools we use helping to grow our reputation as audio professionals, it can mean we deliver bad work and harm it instead. Here are two examples.

Offline Bounce

It wasn’t that long ago that Avid forums were filled with people asking for offline bounce. It arrived a decade ago in Pro Tools 11, this is when Avid introduced the new audio engine (AAE) which offered support of offline bouncing and simultaneous mixdowns of multiple sources.

For those working on large movies or TV shows, and needing to create numerous stems, offline bounce is a time saver, shaving off hours, sometimes days on a huge project. Simply put, it’s a necessary must-have part of the workflow.

However, for those working on shorter music projects, for example, song based projects, it can be all too easy to create an offline bounce, not even check it and send it off to client. This is asking for trouble, every mix should get at least one real-time listening test to make sure nothing has gone wrong during the bounce. It beggars belief when people comment in forums or social media about using offline bounce instead of real time listening. Sure, use it to save time during the bounce, but don’t do that and then not QC the mix before it goes to client.

Every mix needs at least ONE real time listening test before it leaves the building.

Export To Cloud

Another new feature appearing on different platforms, in many cases more video than audio right now, is the ability to export straight from your application either to a cloud location or to a platform like Vimeo, YouTube or frame.io.

The client approval platform frame.io, owned by Adobe, offers integrations for Avid Media Composer, Final Cut, Premiere Pro, and DaVinci Resolve. This means you can export your work for client approval straight to the cloud.

For some this might sound like a workflow dream, on the team it brings us out in a cold sweat. The idea of exporting a timeline to the cloud for a client to check, or to a platform for the public to see without final QC is unwise to say the least, we think it’s bordering on insanity.

It’s nice idea in theory, but it’s so easy to send the wrong mix or render to the client that it’s asking for trouble.

QC Blindness

One of the hardest things to do, especially when you’ve listened to a mix or watched a video for the 1000th time, and that is QC your own work. It can be shocking to get a client approval comment that tells you there’s an obvious mistake, you think ‘no way’, and they wondered how you missed it.

It’s QC blindness. We get too close and need to either have someone else check it, or leave it for a day (imagine that with a looming deadline) and check it again.

When To Use Them?

Some of these technologies are useful, but in our view, not for showtime. Uploading to a cloud location, approval platform is great for team collaboration, it reduces the need to render to your machine and then upload, it makes sense. The same can be said for offline bounce of audio when working in a team collaboration scenario, if there’s a dropout or someone forgot to unmute the effects sends, then there’s less at stake if you know the people you are working with.

But, creating files for clients or public consumption without basic QC listening and/or viewing checks is, in our view, a bad idea.

We’re all being pushed with tight deadlines, but as the old cliche goes, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.